Galaxy · Barred spiral
NGC 6916
NGC 6916 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cygnus, 144.5 million light-years away.
| Type | Barred spiral |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Distance | 144.5 million light-years (44.30 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 97,100 light-years · 1.1 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.19 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 12.04 |
| Luminosity | 1.3 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 20h 23m 33.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | +58° 20′ 39″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 12.04. Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 32° S. North of latitude 32° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in July, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 144 million years ago. At that time dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 2,563.1 billion years.